Horizon Steel Frontiers Could Be A Fantastic Game If It Gets Just One Thing Right

Out of almost nowhere, renowned mobile game developer NCSOFT revealed Horizon Steel Frontiers, a brand new mobile entry in the critically-acclaimed, previously console-exclusive series.

Look, I’m as skeptical as the next person about a new mobile title in a beloved franchise. It’s always been the way that greedy publishers have attempted to cash in on the magic without substance, but I actually think Horizon Steel Frontiers bucks that trend entirely.

Horizon Steel Frontiers Must Be Respectful Of Series Lore In Order To Succeed

In Horizon Steel Frontiers, players take on the role of Machine Hunters in an area of the franchise’s lore called The Deadlands. It’s inspired by Arizona and Mexico, places we’ve not yet explored in the mainline games, and therefore are wide open for the game to put its mark on.

In the trailer and gameplay we’ve seen so far, a lot of what’s on offer follows what fans have seen with Aloy. We fight machines by attacking them and breaking pieces off them to weaken and kill them. Those parts are resources used to craft upgrades and new weapons to help you hunt bigger and stronger machines.

Where Horizon Steel Frontiers switches things up is in the player fantasy. Massive machines that put you through your paces as Aloy are now raid bosses that look to require dozens of players to team up and defeat.

One shot that’s got me particularly excited is a ton of players rushing to a Tallneck and NPCs attempting to pull one to the ground. While these gentle giants have always been used to help you explore each game’s world, they’ve also been a tempting target just out of reach. I selfishly hope we get to take one or two down just to live out that power fantasy.

And therein lies the heart of the matter. While that power fantasy could be true to the lore of the Horizon world, it’s not true of Aloy. She’d never take out a Tallneck unless it turned hostile. Machine Hunters, though, don’t need to care about machines in that way.

I think NCSOFT is in a unique spot with oversight from the creator of the franchise to push the needle and really give players some extra freedom. However, that freedom could let them go too far if they’re not careful.

This game has a duty to be respectful of the wider lore because what Guerrilla Games has built is so pure and well-realized. For every giant machine battle that lets me grab a weapon and carry it on my mount, I want a side mission exploring the culture of a new tribe. The highs must be balanced with slow moments that give insight into the world, just like the mainline titles.

This is also true of the player fantasy that Machine Hunters live out. The gameplay shows off Cauldron exploration and players using flying mounts. Anyone but Aloy has an incredibly hard time doing these things, so we need an in-game exploration for why it’s become so widespread.

I won’t spoil it, but the ending of Horizon Forbidden West definitely leaves things open for Horizon Steel Frontiers to exist in a lore-friendly way. I hope that between NCSOFT and Guerrilla, we get a game that’s consistent with the universe, fun to play, and that lasts for years with regular updates and a near-endless machine hunting fantasy.

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About the Author

Jamie Moorcroft Sharp

Editor

Jamie adores the indie games that you don’t hear about until you’re on a video essay binge at 3AM and suddenly the sound of them changes your life. He’s played games all his life and loves looking at the intricate details that make them magical and different. If there’s a wierd list, embarrassing feature, or something else far too out there on Bonus Action, there’s a good chance he wrote it. But that’s not all! He’s also an absolute fiend who never knows when to stop when he puts on his dirty robes and takes on his D&D persona as a Mud Warlock who acts on that tiny voice in your head when it wonders what would happen if you did something really dumb right now. He’s easy to beat in a TGC, though, just keep an eye out for his crazy card combos.

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